Revealed: Why Australian Open star Elina Svitolina REFUSED to shake hands with her opponent Veronika Kudermetova in very icy end to match

Aussie tennis fans have questioned the actions of Elina Svitolina after the Ukrainian star refused to shake hands with her Australian Open opponent in the fourth round at Melbourne Park. 

Svitolina continued her inspired run to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time in six years on Monday.

The one-time world No.3 followed up her third-round elimination of fourth seed Jasmine Paolini with a straight-sets win over Veronika Kudermetova on Monday.

After falling behind 4-1 in the first set, Svitolina took full advantage of an injury to Kudermetova to power past the wounded Russian 6-4 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena.

However the Ukranian then refused to shake the hand of her Russian opponent, instead shaking hands with the chair umpire and then making a beeline to a broadcast camera to write a message for her supporters.  

‘The spirit of Ukraine,’ Svitolina wrote with a drawing of a heart on the camera. 

Svitolina’s snub was driver by the Ukraine war that has ravaged her home nation.  

The Ukraine war began in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion, a war that continues to this day.

In 2022, tennis players representing Russia and Belarus were banned from Wimbledon. They have also previously been forced to compete at events including the Australian Open in 2023 as individuals, without flag or country recognition.

Svitolina has made her own private stand, refusing to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents while the war has been raging.

That included not shaking hands with Belarus star Victoria Azarenka in the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2023.

‘She doesn’t want to shake hands with Russian, Belarusian people,’ the former WTA No. 1 said at the time.

‘I respected her decision. What should I have done?

‘But this conversation about shaking hands is not a life-changing conversation. So if you guys want to keep talking about it, bring it up, make it a big deal, headlines, whatever it is, keep going. I thought it was a great tennis match.’ 

Svitolina declared that she would not shake the hands of Russian and Belarusian players ahead of the French Open in 2023 and has called for all Ukraine players to do the same. 

‘I think the tennis organisations have to come out with a statement that there will be no handshake between Russian/Belarusian and Ukrainian players,’ she said in 2023. 

‘I don’t know if it’s maybe unclear for people. I already said multiple times that until Russian troops are out of Ukraine and we take back our territories, not going to shake hands.

‘I have clear statement. I don’t know how more clear I can be.’

While Azarenka was not phased by Svitolina’s stance, tennis fans were divided over her snub of Kudermetova on social media.

‘This handshake thing is getting embarrassing,’ one fan posted on X.

‘I had to rewind it because I thought I missed the shake,’ a confused supporter said.

‘Politics and sports should never be mixed,’ asserted another.

Svitolina did not speak about her opponent after the win, instead telling former Australian tennis star Casey Dellacqua that she had faced adversity since her last quarter final appearance at the Australian Open. 

‘It was a long time ago, I feel like it was a lifetime ago,’ she said.

‘So many things happened … having our daughter Skai, and then surgery as well … many things happened, and I’m really pleased with the performance throughout this tournament.

‘I was just trying to fight, this fighting spirit… the only thing you can do when things are not going your way (is) really put your head down and get back to work, and my team helped me a lot.’

 Svitolina said there had been intense preparation behind her Australian Open run in 2025.

‘It’s hours and hours on the court, off the court in the gym,’ she said. 

‘Also I think the mental [side] played a big part here because to come back again and again after the pregnancy, after the surgeries, starting from zero… it’s not easy, I can tell you.

‘For me it’s a really amazing feeling to go deep in these tournaments, in grand slams.’